One of toughest things for an entrepreneur or business owner to do is take time off. Rare is the small business that doesn’t depend heavily on the owner/president to keep things going and for such a person, the pull to stay in the office can be very strong. But we all need a break now and then and getting away and creating some fresh perspective can be very valuable in the long run. If you have a family, taking time off will do wonders for your home life as no one likes being around someone who doesn’t know when to push away from their desk once in a while.

Recently, we spent a few days in the amazing state of Arizona. (Having a really good lip balm like all-natural ChopSaver certainly helps in such a dry climate!) Driving from the Phoenix desert to the high country of the Grand Canyon is a fascinating 4 and 1/2 hour drive through constantly changing climate and scenery. I highly recommend taking the detour through the city of Sedona to see the magnificent red rock formations for which that region is so famous.

Describing the Grand Canyon goes beyond words and pictures as neither mode of communication can do it justice. Magnificent, awe-inspiring, spectacular – choose whatever adjective you like – when you finally see it, many times the first reaction is solemn silence. A single camera shot is just a slice of the entire picture and as you walk along the rim, the view changes at every turn. Hiking around the Grand Canyon brings a contradictory feeling of both self-grandeur – I am part of this amazing world! – and insignificance – I am such a small part of this Universe!. Unless you are fortunate enough to actually live in a place of such expansive natural beauty, the experience is lasting and profound and you will find yourself wondering how soon you can go back again!